Police: Grandfather pulls Mishawaka toddler from pool

Child listed in critical condition.

Child listed in critical condition.

July 08, 2008|TOM MOOR Tribune Staff Writer

MISHAWAKA -- A 14-month-old boy found unconscious at the bottom of a swimming pool over the weekend was listed in critical condition Monday afternoon, authorities said. Nicholas Szalay was pulled from the family pool Sunday by his grandfather, who performed CPR on the boy until he began breathing again, police say. The case is being treated as an accidental near-drowning, said Mike Samp, Mishawaka assistant police chief. The incident occurred at the grandfather's home in the 900 block of East Fifth Street. Samp said the grandfather, 43-year-old Bela Szalay, is a cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor and that his knowledge of CPR may have saved his grandson's life. Paramedics also administered CPR to the child at the scene. Szalay told police that he was inflating rafts for the pool at the time and did not realize his grandson had fallen in the pool. Szalay said he believes Nicholas fell from a deck above the pool and did not believe the boy was in the pool for more than two minutes. Szalay's 13-year-old son also was outside at the time but did not see Nicholas fall in, according to police. Attempts to reach the boy's parents were unsuccessful Monday. Staff writer Tom Moor: tmoor@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6187